Family Heritage-The 81st Hunger Games
by LightBlueRoses
Summary: At age 11, Rie Mellark made the shocking deal of going into the Hunger Games in order to save his parents. Now, at age 18, Rie is thrust into the cruel world of the games. But now, his younger sister volunteers with him. With two groups of tributes trying to kill him and a sister to protect, can Rie Mellark emerge victorious?
1. It Will Be Me

_**Family Heritage: The 81**__**st**__** Hunger Games**_

_Prologue: It Will Be Me_

With sweaty palms and shaking fists, I held my breath. The escort-a heavy, stout man with electric yellow curls and pitch black eyes-waddled towards the men's reaping bowl. I always hated how he did men's first, leaving the girls all scared for their brothers and friends. And, well, it sent all the boys trembling.

His fat hand reached into the bowl, hovering over the many white papers. After a moment of silence, he grabbed a slip and tore it open.

"Rodger Dash!" He announced in a loud, booming voice. A shrimpy-looking boy tapped my back, and motioned for me to move. I did, and the boy made his way to the stage. I frowned. It wasn't fair he should go into the games, but I had no control over that.

Unless-

_No, _I thought to myself, _You...you can't do that._

The boy pushed and shoved his way to the stage, and all of the other boys(even the 12 year olds)towered over him. The escort helped the boy onto the stage.

"Ladies next!" He cried, and walked over to the ladies bowl. I held my breath again. My older sister was too old to be in my games, but my younger sister was. Why, she was only 13. His hand dived into the bowl, and after another moment, he pulled out a slip. "Sunflower Coalin!"

A little girl, no older then 12, skipped onto the stage. I gasped. A friend had said the girl had quite a few mental problems, and her parents never told her about the games. As she cheered, giggling how she won a 'lotto', I realized my friend wasn't exaggerating.

"And that concludes the 80th Hunger Games picking! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be _ever _in your favor!" The escort yelled, and quickly shoved the two kids into the Justice Building. On stage, my dad looked at me, frowning. I was also frowning, knowing what this meant.

When the crowd disbanded, my younger sister hugged me, and started crying. I tried to comfort her, though I knew what this meant.

"Rie, he could have changed his-" Dad started, but I silenced him.

"You know the president wouldn't just back out like this." I snapped at him.

Mom was in the back, unable to do anything. Her gray eyes were closed in concentration. My older sister had gone into the Justice Building, most likely to try to talk to Sunflower. I knew she had babysat Sunflower many times.

I guess I should explain. When I was 11 years old, a man by the name of Julius Snow took over Panem. In just a month, he had gained full control, kidnapped my parents and my siblings(including me), and threatened to send all the living victors back into the games. I managed to save my parents by striking a deal with him, at the cost of my own life.

He warned me that after my 14th Birthday, I should expect to be reaped. This is my 5th reaping. I'm 17. And seeing how I haven't been reaped before, there's no doubt about it.

My name is Rie Mellark, and next year, when I turn 18, I'm getting reaped.

_**A.N/ **_**Psst, wanna know WHY the games are back? Check out my story, 'Taking Over-The Fall of the Mockingjay'! And check out my other story, 'Warm Blood, Cold Hearts'! Because...um...because I'm lonely and I want reviews. ;^;**


	2. Heading to My Death

_Chapter One: Heading to My Death_

Sunflower made it to the final two. It was amazing really, how a girl who was only 12 and a mentality of a child could make it to the final two. By then, she was starving, alone, and worst of all, afraid. The arena had been a strange place with grey skies and sickly brown grass, with broken beds scattered around. Under the beds were small holes, and at night, monsters would come out.

The district 11 male, a young boy by the name of Callu, gave her a short and merciful death.

Just like last year's district 11 winner. It was more then just that; District 11 had been winning the games since the 77th Hunger Games. All the supposed career districts were scrambling to train their kids to stop District 11's winning streak, though training was strictly forbidden.

When I woke up, Ivy was already standing in the doorway. Her arms were crossed, and a playful smirk was on her lips.

"Come on sleepy head, get up!" She giggled, but her demeanor suddenly changed. She frowned, and looked at the ground. "It's reaping day, after all."

I swallowed my fear and got up. My bed was practically calling for me, but I forced myself to stand. A breeze of cool air filled my room from the windows-Ivy must have opened them. Still in my pajamas, I closed the windows and walked down to the kitchen. A bowl of oatmeal was waiting, along with a glass of orange juice. Dad was already at the bakery, as his apron was gone. Mom was no where to be seen.

"Mornin' Rie." Primrose greeted me, scarfing down some eggs. She saw my face, and smiled, "Don't be so worried! You aren't going to be picked, I know it. The president's too much of a coward to go through with this deal."

"But he can pick Ivy instead. And...look, if I do get picked, please act surprised. Start crying. Faint. Anything. I wasn't supposed to even tell you..." I trailed off.

"I promise to do so. And may the odds be ever in your favor." Primrose mimicked a Capitol accent at the end, and I chuckled. Breakfast went by relatively quickly-or as fast as it can be on a day as horrid as this. Primrosed finished her breakfast before I was barely even half way done. She got up, pushed in her chair, and grabbed her coat. "I'm off to see Northester now, meet you after the reapings."

"Okay, see you then." I sighed, and Primrose walked out of the room. I heard the front door slam shut. As soon as I was sure Primrose was gone, I got out of my chair, slurped down the last of my breakfast, and grabbed a broom. The stairs leading down to the basement were narrow and covered in cobwebs, but that didn't matter.

Wooden cutouts of human targets laid in the middle of the basement, along with a few metal poles. I propped the targets up, and forced the broom of its handle. When I had put on a pair of sports glasses, I was ready to practice.

Setting a timer for 60 seconds, I took a deep breath, and let myself go.

_Snap!_

_Crack!_

_Crunch!_

A blizzard of wooden splinters fell to the ground, and in just a minute, I had reduced the targets to broken shards of wood. Normally I would do another round, but seeing how it was reaping day, I didn't want any peacekeepers to see my practice. I wasn't supposed to practice.

Re-attaching the broom back to its handle, I swept all of the wood into a garbage bag. I then hid the poles inside the same bag, and tied the bag shut. Hopefully, mom wouldn't throw the bag out, though I knew she probably would. The poles could be useful for training Ivy, just incase.

After I was sure that the bag was securely tied, I grabbed an old, dusky book of the basement table. It was mom's old plant book, which she said had been given to her by her dad or something. At least, that's what she said when I asked. I couldn't always trust mom's words.

The next few hours were spent in my bedroom reading. I was nearly done with the book when Ivy pounded against my bedroom door, shouting at me to get ready. I grabbed an old dress shirt and khakis, and got dressed.

"Kids, come on. Let's...go." My dad called out. I walked down the stairs, my blond hair messy and my shirt unbuttoned. I hadn't really cared to work on my appearance.

"Where's mum and Primrose?" Ivy asked. Her blond hair was pleated into two braids, each tied with a small blue ribbon.

"She's already at the stage. Primrose is with her boyfriend, remember? She said she'd be back for the reaping..." Dad told her. Ivy nodded. Dad then turned to me. "Button up your shirt."

"Why? I'm getting reaped anyways, why should I care?" I snapped at him.

Dad looked worried. "Rie, please, we can't-"

"Whatever." I buttoned the shirt, and smoothed my hair down as best I could. A deathly silence took over the streets of District 12. A few kids played in the mud, only to have their mothers rush to clean them. Miners of all sizes and genders walked out of their mines, granted a break from their work.

We walked in silence, from our large house in the Victor's Village to the reaping square. The place got more and more crowded as we walked, and soon, I was being pushed and shoved between the other 18 year olds trying to squeeze in. My sister walked to her section, and dad took a seat next to mom.

Instead of the fat man from last year, a new escort walked onto the stage. She had light pink hair, all curled and styled up. Her skin was pale, and magenta makeup accented her eyes and lips. She was wearing a spring green dress and pink shoes. She looked like a younger version of mom's old escort; the only major difference was this escort had dark green eyes, and I knew mom's escort had light blue ones.

"Welcome, welcome! I am your brand new escort, Tabitha Scots!" She started.

An unwelcoming silence filled the air. She sighed, shaking her head.

"Always such a drab district. Ah, well. Let's start, shall we? I presume you've seen enough of that silly little Capitol film." She giggled at the end. I sighed, relieved at least I wouldn't have to watch that stupid film. "Now, let's start with...the boys!"

Despite knowing who would be picked, I suddenly felt terrified. My hands were shaking, my eyes wide, and my breath was ragged. My life flashed before my eyes. The time when I accidentally caused the oven to explode, when I shot my first deer, when I signed the contract sending me to my death, all those times.

She stepped forward, towards the bowl. With each step she took, I saw another scene. The last seen I saw was when I had first learned about what my parents had done, when I was 9. _"The games were a VERY bad thing," _mom had simplified for me, _"But with your father and I's help, they won't ever be coming back."_

"A...very bad thing..." My eyes widened in fear as Tabitha dove a thin hand into the bowl. I felt like I was at my first reaping, 6 years ago. I closed my eyes, waiting for her to call out my name.

But she didn't. In fact, she never did. I opened my eyes, looking around confused. A tiny sliver of hope spread through me, but it was crushed when my dad started screaming.

"Well, come on dear, come up!" Tabitha called out. I realized a second later that I had been called.

So much for my hopes.

I walked towards the stage, shaking. My eyes were wide, my face paling. I had practiced acting scared before, but I didn't need to now; I was genuinely afraid of what would happen. Tabitha gasped dramatically.

"Why, your the girl on fire's child! I'm sooo honored!" She squealed, dragging out the 'so'. I sighed, and nodded meekly, to show I was the fire girl's child. She giggled, looking more then happy. It took a minute or two for her to realize what she was supposed to be doing. "Erm, sorry," she smiled, and her cheeks flushed, "Now for the lovely ladies!"  
My district partner. The girl who will either love me or hate her, depending on her opinion of my parents. I bet that she'd be a poor seam girl, and would despise my parents for not stopping President Snow's takeover. Or maybe she would be a merchant child, and think that the president's take over wasn't their fault, that he was just too powerful.

I glanced at mom and dad. Mom was biting her lip, taking in deep breaths. Dad looked fairly panicked, but I could tell he was acting. Primrose was sobbing her eyes out, but Ivy stayed strong. I noticed she was edging towards the edge of the section. _But why would she...? _I thought, confused, but I was distracted when Tabitha called out a name.

"Sabrina Witheed!" Tabitha cried out. From the 16 year old section, I saw a pale, gnarly looking girl with bright blue eyes and knotted black hair stepped out. She looked pretty skinny, but her legs were fairly muscular, perfect for running.

Sabrina took in a deep breath, and went to walk onto the stage.

But someone blocked her. Tabitha gasped when she saw who it was, as did Primrose. Mom's eyes widened in alarm, and Dad's fists started shaking. I myself was nervous.

Ivy had stepped up, blocking Tabitha from the stage. In a loud voice, she asked, "Am I allowed to volunteer for this year as District 12's tribute?"

"Ivy no!" Dad shouted, trying to get up, but peacekeepers blocked him. Tabitha thought for a moment.

"Well, I don't see why not. I mean, you followed all the rules. True, I didn't announce the volunteering, but almost no one does in 12...hm...yup! You can volunteer!" She chirped, smiling. Ivy nodded, and stepped forward.

"Then I volunteer." She announced.

In a matter of seconds, pure chaos erupted through the crowds.

…

It took the peacekeepers 20 minutes to suppress the crowd. I could tell because they wouldn't let anyone into the Justice Building to visit until the chaos died down. I wasn't surprised at the chaos at all. Not one, but _two_ Mellark kids going into the games? It was enough to make anyone angry.

After the final screams were yelled out, a sudden silence took over the outside. I gulped, a bit nervous. It wasn't a good sign when there were screams, then silence. I wondered if dad or mom had been beaten. Last time I saw them, dad was fighting back against the peacekeepers, trying to kill Tabitha. Or, at least, it seemed like it. Mom had faired no better; she was screeching at Tabitha, yelling at her for allowing Ivy to volunteer.

"Your visitors are coming in." A peacekeeper announced. I sighed, wondering who would visit. Mom and dad were the only victors from 12, so there's no point in them visiting me. My friends might visit, if they weren't being beaten by peacekeepers or thrown into cells. Primrose would definitely come, of course. I couldn't think of who else would come.

Frantic running caught my attention, and immediately, I found myself being tackle hugged by a blur of brown and pink. To my surprise, Daisose-a fiery rebel girl who'd been my friend for years-came to visit, along with Browns(friend from school), and Avill(another friend from school).

"You guys actually came?" I asked, a bit shocked. Avill chuckled sadly.

"Did you really think we wouldn't? I know we're not best friends, Rie, but you're my bud. I can't just let you die." Avill replied. Browns nodded in agreement, and Daisose scowled.

"Why, when I get my hands on those stupid peacekeepers, I'll give 'em all I have!" She proclaimed loudly. I heard a peacekeeper stopping at the door, then yelling for another peacekeeper. Looking nervous, Daisose stuttered, "W-Well, maybe not my all..."

Browns cleared his throat. "You need to win."

"I know that! Don't you think I know, dammit!? If I don't...ugh, I shouldn't be thinking like that..." I trailed off in the end, thoughts swarming in my head.

"No. I mean, you _need _to win. If you do, it'll show them capitol folks that your family is strong and will not be messed with. And," Browns' voice lowered, "Perhaps it can spark a rebellion?"

"Thanks for the pressure..." I mumbled, crossing my arms. Daisose looked around, and then pulled out a small, cardboard box. She shoved it into my hands.

"Look," she said, forcing me to look into her eyes, "This contains exactly $5000, all in single bills. When you get out-and this is important-start throwing the money into the crowds. Dem Capitol people love money, and they will be more then happy to gain a few extra bucks. Everything's super cheap there, I would know. Give some to your sister to hand out."

Shocked, I muttered, "How did you get so much!?"

"That doesn't matter," she snapped at me, "Just do it, okay? If anyone asks, there's cookies in there and you plan on eating it 'soon'."

A peacekeeper walked into the room. "Time to go. Your sister and her boyfriend are next."

I noticed that the peacekeeper was extra careful guiding Daisose out of the room. Primrose and Northester were shoved into the room. Primrose ran towards me, hugging me tightly.

"Please win," she begged, "For lord's sake, Rie, please win."

I hugged her back, promising, "I'll win, don't you worry about it. They wouldn't dare kill a Mellark, not with stakes like these."

Northester snapped his fingers, and both Primrose and I looked towards him. In his hands was a thin leather necklace, with a rusting, old bottle cap on it.

"Found the cap a while back, though you might like it. Since Daisose was giving you cookies, I figured I'd give you a potential token." He said, tying the necklace onto my neck. I smiled in gratitude, thanking him, though my cheeks were burning bright red.

"How did you know about my collection?" I asked.

When I was younger, I was obsessed with bottle caps. It didn't matter what shape they were in; as long as is wasn't split in two, I would take it. Everyone always made fun of it, so I stopped collecting a few years back.

"I have my ways." Northester shrugged. We sat in another silence before a peacekeeper announced that my time was up.

Another hug, and Primrose and Northester were escorted out. I sighed, deflated. Despite still being embarrassed, there was a strange sense of comfort that came with the bottle cap. Comfort I knew I wouldn't have in the games.

Almost an hour passed before the peacekeepers deemed it safe to head outside. Ivy, when I saw her next, looked like she had been crying, as her eyes were red and puffy. We were escorted into a shiny black car, where Tabitha was waiting.

When I turned six, we had taken a car ride all the way to the station to visit a friend of mom's for my party. That was the last time I had been in a car, as we didn't truly need one. District 12 was so small, you could just walk everywhere.

The scent of leather greeted my nose as I sat in a car seat. The seats were made of high quality leather, probably from District 10 cows, not the cheap leather made from Capitol cows. Velvet floormats covered the floor of the car, and the windows were sparkling clean. If I weren't heading to my death, it would have been a pleasant ride.

As Tabitha babbled on and on about how excellent the Capitol was, there was only one thought on my mind.

_How will I ever be able to protect Ivy?_

**_A.N./_**** And that's a wrap for the first chapter! Please, if you find any spelling errors, tell me. It's fairly late at night, and I was rushing a bit to finish this, soooo yeah. Anyways, critique appreciated, and if you like this, please check out my story about the 75th Hunger Games((Not the 'cannon' one, but a new "version" of the 75th HG.))**

**ALSO: If you want history, check out my story "Taking Over: The Fall of the Mockinjay". It's...poorly written, but hey, at least I have a backstory, eh?**


	3. The Opponents

_Chapter Two: The Opponents_

_**Ivy Mellark's POV**_

Silence was everywhere. Not a single person cheered nor cried, not one camera snapped a photo, no reporters asked any questions. For once, the crowd at the train station was as silent as could be.

And that's what scared me the most.

Tabitha waved to a few reporters, but they didn't bother to wave back. She was just as disturbed at this lack of "enthusiasm", though she tried not to let it show. The train-a sleek, silver color with intricate details carved into it-was already waiting for us. With one last wave to the silent crowd, she pushed us into the train. I stumbled, but Rie helped me stay up.

"Whoa." I muttered, looking around.

I had been in a train five times, three of those being when I was real little. It had been years since I'd last been on a train, and they were never as good as this train.

Obviously, it was a luxury train. Red carpeting covered the floor, and the walls were coated with gold paint. There were all sorts of beautiful furniture in the train, along with plenty of avoxes. I could see the collars around their necks; an efforts to keep them silent without being too "barbaric". I did see one or two avoxes with no tongues, meaning their crimes were just as brutal as their punishment.

Instead of seeing mom or dad in the train, however, I saw mom's old friend, Johanna Mason. She looked a bit weary, but still as tough as ever. Her brown hair was cut and spiked up, and her brown eyes were narrowed in anger.

"Wh-where's mom and dad?" Rie asked a peacekeeper.

"Due to the rioting in District 12, your parents were...unavailable for mentoring. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to the other tributes if your parents were your mentors, so we chose another mentor." The peacekeeper replied.

Rie and I gasped at the same time. Mom hadn't visited me during the goodbyes...neither had dad. And now I wouldn't even _see _them!? I hadn't gotten a chance to really talk to mom in the morning, and I scarcely talked to dad for that matter.

"But-but how did you get her so quickly!?" Rie asked, pointing a finger towards Johanna.

"I got here so fast because _your _district's train is broken. The closest train was my own tributes' train. I don't know what idiot would pair two district tributes together on a train ride..." She started mumbling about how "horrible" the whole situation was, as she sipped on a beer.

"You mean...you mean there are other tributes on this train?!" Rie was well more then shocked. I, on the other hand, was much calmer.

"No, it means that my tributes are riding _unicorns_ to the Capitol." Johanna glared, before taking another sip. Rie looked quite disturbed by this fact, and almost on queue, the two District 7 tributes walked into the car. They both gasped, as did we.

The girl tribute-a very tall girl with straw colored hair and dark brown eyes-grinned, shaking a bit. "Are-are you really the Everdeen kids!? Wow! I mean-I'm a huge fan of your mom's. And your dad. And everyone really! This is soo exciting! I can't believe I'm really meeting you guys! So tell me, is your mom as brash as she was?"

Neither Rie or I could speak, a bit disturbed with this fangirl. The male tribute rolled his eyes. Compared to the girl, he was the complete opposite. He was fairly short, only a few inches taller then my own height, and while he wasn't fat, he was extremely muscular. He had piercing blue eyes and straight black hair, and I noticed that along his neck was a thin scar.

His hand slammed into the girl's mouth, muffling her. Glaring slightly, he introduced himself, "I am Sodapop Bruten...my uncle died in your parents' game." His voice got very low and threatening at the end. I gulped, but Rie just nodded his head respectfully.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He replied plainly, almost emotionlessly. That was so unlike Rie; he was usually so sensitive when it came towards death, but here, he was as emotionless as a brick.

Sodapop glared, his hands curling into fists. "His name was Elk. Elk Bruten. You mom didn't even care!"

"Again, I am sorry your uncle died. Now please, you could leave me and my sister alone?" Rie asked. Sodapop, by now, looked ready to beat Rie to a pulp. Before that could happen, however, a few peacekeepers came in and forced the two tributes to leave. Johanna sighed, throwing her beer can to the floor. Beer spilled everywhere, and avoxes rushed to clean up the mess.

An avox motioned for us to sit down, and we did. I tried to make myself as comfortable as possible on the couch, which wasn't at all hard to do. Another avox rolled over a tray of pastries and candies, all home made.

Despite still being full, I couldn't help but grab a pastry and try one. The pastry was thin, with browned edges and pink sauce on top. When I bit into it, strawberry jam was revealed to be the filling.

It tasted well more than delicious. By the time an hour had passed, I had consumed all the pastries on that tray. Rie, on the other hand, hadn't taken a single bite. He just sat there, staring out into space, while I ate and Johanna drank from a a wine bottle.

"Alright, fuck it. Get my tributes NOW." Johanna commanded a peacekeeper, and in a minute, Sodapop and the girl were in the room. Johanna sat up. "Look, I don't give two shits about your uncle, they-" she pointed towards us, "Aren't Katniss or Peeta, so could you all shut up and watch the damn reapings? They should be done by now."

The two District 7 tributes sat down in the same couch as us. The girl was unusually close to me, while the boy stayed as far away from Rie and me as possible. A screen rolled down, and the TV projector flickered for a few moments before the reapings turned on. The anthem played while the Capitol seal was shown, and finally, the reapings played.

"Hello Panem! I am your host, Matilda Simmons, and I am here to show you...the reapings! As District 13 have just finished their reapings, I feel it is time to recap the reapings for those who haven't seen them yet. And, while I won't spoil the surprise, quite a few familiar faces are gonna pop up." Matilda Simmons, with her sun yellow hair and neon green eyes, smiled and winked at the camera. The Capitol seal flashed on the screen, before cutting away to the Capitol reapings.

Packs of people were shown, and thousands of kids were crammed into the reaping area as Matilda herself walked onto the reaping stage. Hundreds of potential Capitol tributes had their hair dyed in camoflauge colors, I noticed, and some even left their hair plain(a rare sight in the Capitol).

Matilda reached into the girl's reaping bowl, and picked out a slip. "Byrn Crane!" She announced, and a boy-no older then myself-walked onto the stage. He has perfectly smoothed black hair, and he wore a dark red vest over a white shirt. Matilda gave a little gasp, before asking, "Are you HER sister...?"

"Yes, I am. My dear sister Holly is the gamemaker this year, and I cannot wait to play them." The boy confirmed, smirking. Matilda giggled, and pulled out a slip for the girls. One of the many kids with camouflaged hair stepped up, smiling and blowing kisses into the crowd.

District 1's tributes were the usual. The girl wasn't all to pretty-her hair was a dirty blond, and she had a bit of a bucktooth. The boy, on the other hand, was stunning. He had bright green eyes that sparkled under the sun, and slightly wavy blond hair. Even his teeth were perfect, all white with no signs of cavities or yellow to them.

District 2 was where I encountered a problem. A big problem, though I didn't know it at the time. The escort walked onto the stage, and went towards the boy's bowl. He pulled out a slip, and in a loud voice, he announced, "Cato Marble the Third-"

Flashes of silver flew threw the air, embedding themselves into the reaping bowl stands. The escort yelped, backing away, as peacekeepers surrounded him. The silver flashes were revealed to be a pair of silver throwing knives.

Two blurs of black and blue ran to the stage, and when the blurs finally slowed down, I gasped. Rie gasped. The girl gasped. The only two not to gasp were Johanna and Sodapop.

"They...look..." Rie stammered out, but we all knew what he was going to say.

Clove. The girl who tried to kill my mom was named Clove Nickels. I was seven when I first watched that infamous scene. Rie had convinced me that watching mom's old tapes would be "fun", so of course I watched them. I didn't want to look like a baby, after all.

After watching them, it took mom, dad, and Primrose to convince me that Clove wouldn't sneak into my room and try to kill me. There was something about that girl that scared me. Whether it be the fact that she was so small and yet, so deadly, or just what she said to mom, I couldn't tell. But the biggest fear I had of her was her _eyes. _Somethingabout those brown eyes scared me, made me terrified beyond belief.

Unfortunatly, the two tributes had her eyes. Well, somewhat.

As the two tributes grinned and waved, the escort asked, "Um, and who are you?"

"I'm Cleave Nickels, and this is my sister Echo Nickels. We are volunteering for this year's games." The boy introduced himself, smirking. If Clove had been a boy, she would have looked like that. The boy's dark hair was cut very short, and spiked a little at the top. He didn't seem to be very tall, but he looked like the kind of kid who could kill all the tributes in just seconds, given the chance. Like Clove, his eyes gave off a deadly vibe, though his eyes were green.

The escort flushed. "But we-why, we didn't even do the girls yet!"

Echo glared. "Well, what are you waiting for? Do them already!"

Hufing, the escort walked to the girl's reaping bowl. He pulled out a slip, and loudly, he announced, "Savan-"

"I volunteer!" Echo hopped up and down a bit, waving her arm. The escort stared at her, but Cleave laughed.

"Damn kids have guts to be doing such an act...heh, I like 'em!" Johanna commented. All four of us glared at her.

Huffing a bit, I observed Echo. She looked just as deadly as Clove. In fact, she and Clove could be twins. The only difference was with her own eye. Like her brother, Echo had leaf green eyes. But unlike both Clove and Cleave, her eyes seemed...nicer. She looked innocent in a sense, with her wide eyes and 'kinder' look.

"Better be wary of them in the arena." Rie whispered to me. I nodded.

The reapings continued as normal. I noticed that in many districts, names sounded familiar, and some last names were the same last names as a few of the tributes in mom's games. Some tributes even looked the same.

After the District 13 reapings were over (like usual, District 13 didn't have very healthy tributes), the District 7 girl(who I learned was named 'Amelia')blabbered on and on about the tributes, eventually getting to Rie and my own reapings.

"Wow, you are like, soo brave! I mean, Ivy, that was so thoughtful of you! But why did you do it?" Amelia asked.

Time seemed to freeze.

Why did I volunteer? I mean, I didn't plan on volunteering. I had planned to watch, knowing Rie would kill me if I volunteered. But I couldn't help myself. Rie was, for a lack of a better term, my favorite sibling. Of course I loved Primrose, but she was never there for me like Rie was. And I couldn't stand there, knowing that Rie would die alone.

I needed to be there for him.

As everyone in the train cabin stared, I quietly mumbled, "I have my reasons.", and looked away.

**A.N/ Glad to be done with this chapter! Anyways, I realized I forgot to put a disclaimer, so let me make something clear: If I owned THG, do you ****_really _****think I would be writing fanfiction?**

**Critic is welcome, but flames are not~**


	4. Dress Up

_Chapter Three: Dress Up_

_**Rie Mellark's POV**_

After Ivy's barely-an-answer, the cabin went back to its usual silence. Honestly, I was _not_ looking forward to arriving in the Capitol, but who would? I gripped the box Daisose gave to me tightly. _Perhaps I shouldn't just throw the money around, _I thought, _I suppose I'll hand it out..._

Hours passed, and I even napped in a small bedroom cart. All too soon, I was back in the main cart, watching the TV. There was nothing new, just some Capitol freaks talking about some rumors of the arena.

"We're nearly there!" Tabitha and the District 7's escort cried simultaneously. I was a bit startled, seeing how I could hear them despite them being in the other cabin. I stood up, keeping the box close to me, and walked to the window.

"Whoa." I muttered, amazed at the beauty of the Capitol. Despite the place being sickening on the inside, its buildings were beautiful. We briefly entered a tunnel, and when we exited the tunnel, we were right inside a snow-white train station.

Dozens of weird looking people were waiting. I could spot a bunch of kids with camouflage hair, and older people were wearing camouflage. I noticed that a few even wore mockingjay pins, something that angered me to the core.

Trying to mask my anger, I started to wave. Many waved back, and I motioned for Ivy to come next to me.

"Come on!" I said, but she refused to move. Amelia, though, did come towards me, and started to wave through the other window. Most people ignored her, but I could see a few people giggling and waving back.

Tabitha and the District 7 escort walked into the car, and the train made a full stop. Peacekeepers escorted us out of the car, and I opened the box. I approached a red headed girl wearing a black hair bow. I pulled out a handful of bills, and placed then in her hands.

She started screaming in joy. I repeated the process to several people, and soon people were desperately trying to get the money. Even a few peacekeepers looked interested, so I handed them the money, too. They all seemed to blush, but accepted the money all the same.

_What would they even do with the money?, _I wondered, _Do they even have jobs? I guess they must, but everything would be so cheap to them..._

Tabitha seemed a bit annoyed, and clammed up when I offered her a few dollars.

"E-Escorts don't need bribes!" She hissed. I shrugged, and continued handing out the cash. When Tabitha started to push me, I shoved the box(which still contained at least $1000)into some random person's hands.

Before too long, I entered a large building with several peacekeepers inside it. I knew this building well, as it was always shown on TV just before the games. It was the training center, where all the tributes stay before the games. It was a grand building, the size of a sky scraper, but that didn't mas its horribleness.

We were guided into a giant, silver room, with several stations all against the left wall. Each station was about 10 feet apart, blue curtains hanging from both sides of each stations. I realized this was the remake center, as there were several "remaking" tools, and grinning stylists dressed in either white or blue at each station.

Two peacekeepers pushed me and Ivy apart, with Ivy going to the station next to me. I reached out for her, but the peacekeeper kept his grip and shoved me into someone.

The scent of lemon greeted me. Someone was hugging, and they were hugging me _tight. _I struggled to breath as I heard someone rave.

"OHMYGOSH," a voice slurred, "IT'SHIM!"

"Serenity!," another voice cried, "You'll suffocate the poor boy! Let him go!"

"SORRYI'MSERENITY!" A young girl with lemon colored hair and green eyes cried out. Her voice was blurred; I could barely keep track of what she was saying.

"Wh-what?" I gasped between breaths. She grabbed my hand.

"Sorry! I said I'm Serenity! I'm gonna do your nails! Not that boys need much nail work, but you know~" Serenity giggled, her lemon curls bobbing up and down. "Now, take off your clothes!"

I blushed. The woman who got her off of me groaned.

"Serenity, don't say it like that! Dear, I'm sorry. I am Dana, I will be doing your hair." She explained. For Capitol people, she was very tame, with only firetruck red curls as her "shocking" fashion trend. Her nails were sharp, with pointed gold tips. "Please, do take off your shirt and pants, we can't work with you if you're still dressed. Here, I can get you an outfit..."

Begrudgingly, I took off my reaping shirt, pants, and shoes, leaving me in my socks and boxers. I slipped off the socks, and Dana handed me a plastic-like, blue shirt to wear. She helped me onto a table, and I looked around.

"Shouldn't there be three me-" My question was cut short when a tall, blue-skinned man with green hair raced into the room. He was in jeans and a t-shirt, and he was even wearing sneakers. He smiled warmly at me.

"Hello, I'm Otho, I'll be doing waxing, no it won't hurt much, blah blah blah. Anyways, Dana, where is a shirt...?" He asked. Dana glared while she handed him a similar blue shirt, and he put it over his own shirt. Otho looked at me, and grinned. "Now, let's get started!"

. . .

From the other side of the remake center, a long string of curses could be heard, along with a few screams and yells. I could easily tell that they were all being waxed, but luckily for me, the first thing they did was waxing.

Not that it hurt any less, of course, but I was able hold my tongue.

Serenity carefully glazed a clear polish over my cut nails. "It's to protect them," she explained, "And to make them stronger."

I nodded. While Serenity was doing my nails, Dana was styling my hair, so that it was more curled. Otho, meanwhile, was babbling away on a hand-held phone.

"Yo, dude, my wife says thanks for the thousand bucks." He said.

"Erm...tell I said you're welcome?" I shifted around, but Serenity glared.

"Don't move!" She commanded. The curses from the other side were dying down, replaced with someone screaming in pain. I gulped, hoping it wasn't Ivy. After a bit, Serenity stopped, happy with her work. She put down the nail polish, and left. Dana also was done, putting down hair gel and a brush.

"You can see the stylist now." Dana said, carefully helping me off the table. She guided me to a metal door behind the station, opening it for me and pushing me in. Inside, there was another table and a clothes rack. She shut the door, leaving me alone.

With nothing else to do, I sat down. Only a minute or so passed before my stylist walked in. As I saw her come in, a wave of relief washed over me.

This stylist was fairly plain looking for a Capitol person. Certainly not as plain as Dana, but not as outlandish as other people. She had bright pink hair and tanned skin, with blue eyeshadow accenting her eyes. She wore a pink shirt and jeans, and even sneakers like Otho's pair.

"Hi," she greeted me, shaking my hand, "I'm Formosa, your stylist. I just wanted to say I'm a rather large admire of your mom, and I'm very sorry for you to go through this."

"Thanks." I replied glumly, looking at the floor tiles.

"Look, I'm not like that crappy stylist last year. I won't have you dress in diamond studded boxers." Formosa laughed, "Now close your eyes."

"What!? Why?" I asked, nervous.

"I don't want to spoil the surprise. I can help you get dressed into the costume. Now just take off your shirt..." Formosa grabbed a blindfold, and before I could protest anymore, she put it over my eyes.

Cold air hit my chest as soon as I took off the shirt, and I shivered. Something silky in texture was slid over me, and the same silk texture was my pants. The outfit wasn't heavy at all; in fact, it was pretty light. Formosa kept me blindfolded as she put on my socks and shoes for me, before finally letting me take of the blindfold.

I was underwhelmed. The outfit was a simple white tuxedo, studded with diamonds. Even the shoes were diamond studded. Formosa giggled, handing me a white cane with a diamond on time.

"I see you don't like it." She said, still giggling.

"Wh-what? Of course I like it!" I blushed.

"No no, it's okay. You'll like it soon." Formosa grabbed my hand and walked me over to a giant space with several horse-drawn chariots. I saw Ivy, arms crossed and eyes narrowed, glaring at her own stylist. She was dressed in a long, ball gown dress, also studded with diamonds. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and blue lipstick accented her lips.

"I said I don't like it! Stop trying to change my mind!" She yelled at her poor stylist, who looked ready to cry.

"B-but-but-" He stuttered. Formosa cut him off.

"Derry, stop trying to change her mind and let it go." Formosa walked up to Ivy, returning the glare. Ivy's glare softened a bit, and she looked away. Formosa smiled, motioning for me to come to her. I did so, and Ivy came up soon after. The carriage was plain white, and like out outfits, it too had diamonds covering it. Even the horses, though coal black in color, had diamond covered reins.

I looked around. In the Capitol carriage, Byrn and his district partner were dressed as doctors, with gold scrubs and gloves on. In district 11, the two tributes were dressed like plants-the boy as a young sapling tree, and the girl as what looked like an oak tree.

_Their outfits are better then ours, that's for sure, _I thought to myself, _At least they'll be remembered._

"We're starting!" A man cried out, just as the Capitol chariot started to roll out. I held my breath, and Ivy's hand grabbed mine. In a minute, we were rolling out. Keeping our hands together, we raised them, expecting people to ignore us and watch the more impressive costumes.

That's when the fire started. I could tell it wasn't real fire, since I felt no pain and neither of us were burning, but it was definitely fire. It consumed us, the flames easily towering over my own height. I felt wet, like something was dripping off my hair and onto my face.

We continued to hold our hands high until the flames started to die down, just as our chariot was entering the city circle. President Snow walked onto the stage, his platinum blond hair smoothed down. The flames completely died down, and I realized just how horrific we looked.

The costume I was now wearing was a pitch black tuxedo, with bits of coal sticking to it. Red liquid dripped down my face and neck, making it look like blood. I looked like I was a zombie, and when I saw how Ivy looked, she looked the same.

"Welcome dear tributes, to the 81st Annual Hunger Games! We salute your courage," and looking directly at Ivy and me, "And your sacrifice. We wish you a happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

The horses turned around, carrying us back to the tribute center. Still holding hands, Ivy and I waved to the crowds, who were cheering us on. Chants of my name and Ivy's echoed through the street, so loud that it hurt.

But when the horses got back, I glared at Formosa and Derry, raising my cane threateningly at them. My cane had turned black, and the diamond had turned into coal.

"You-you made us look dead!" I yelled at them.

"They liked it." Formosa replied, smirking.

"But we look like zombies!" I hopped off of the chariot, still glaring. I could see a few peacekeepers starting to walk over.

"They liked it. So what if you look dead? They loved it." Formosa's smirk only widened when she saw that I couldn't come up with a response. "Now come on, better get in before all the other tributes try to maim you."

While we walked to the elevator, Ivy asked, "How did you...how did you do that?"

"Well, you see..." Darry started to explain how the fire managed to turn the diamonds to coal and how the blood came to be, without burning us. I wasn't paying attention, and as I noticed, neither was Ivy.

Instead, Ivy was transfixed on staring at the girl from District 2.

_**A.N/ **_**Guys...I made a mistake. A huge, huge mistake. I thought that the epilogue took place 15 years later. As I found out, it does not. SO, from now on, these stories are in an AU where Katniss and Peeta had kids earlier. **

**Anyways, that aside, sorry for a lack of updates! I am currently on vacation, though we're heading back tomorrow. So, how was the chapter? Oh, and don't worry. Formosa won't be a carbon copy of Cinna, I'll make sure of it...;)**

**Discalimer: If I owned the Hunger Games, it'd be a love square between Katniss, Gale, Cato, and Clove. So do you really think I own them?**


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